Succession
by Fogdragon23
Summary: Summary: Slight AU. Masamune has gained the title of daimyo but what is next in his life of trials? Story Status: In progress.
1. Chapter 1

**Succession**

by fogdragon23

Disclaimer: I do not own the copyright to Sengoku Basara. It is property of Capcom and Funimation. Please support the official releases of the anime/games/manga/all of it. Thank you.

Author's Note: The italics in Masamune's dialogue is his token Engrish. Italics in any other characters follow traditional writing rules. Also, I am attempting to mix historical and Sengoku Basara canon together in a reasonable manner. Hopefully I didn't sully the image of either. If you would like to favorite, alert, or review please do so. It's highly appreciated. Happy reading!

* * *

The sun swung low in the sky as the day crept to an end. Tufts of white clouds swirled against the warmly painted sky while the hot star descended. Below laid a semi-circle of mountains only broken by harshly carved veins that served as man-made trails. A stream snaked through the complicated pass and eventually dipped into a swift river around the base of the mountains. Men dotted its banks as they worked for their day's supper, harpooning the native fish.

Masamune coolly regarded the animal in front of him with his left eye as he sat on the river bank and reminisced. It had only been a week since his father let him ascend to lord of their province. _Daimyo_ was a hard title to swallow. He had worked to prove himself as the worthiest heir but wasn't prepared for all the responsibility that came with it. He smiled as he remembered the look on his mother's face when his father made the first announcement. First, came the impartial frown that she normally wore when his father spoke to him, then the startled wide eyes like her husband had grown an extra head. Last, came the tears, they were his favorite.

That was the best and worst day of his life.

His right eye stung in phantom pain at the memory. He rubbed the ornate patch that covered it. The wound was years old, nothing he troubled himself with anymore but it did burn on occasion. He reached out to briefly touch his helmet for reassurance as he busied himself back to the aquatic creature in front of him.

The fish continued its life with no care at all of his presence, the tip of its dorsal fin reared minutely out of the water as it neared the surface. He continued to watch languidly, not caring to pursue the creature after an already successful day of fishing. He planned to share his bounty with some of the servants in his estate. The gesture would greatly appease his retainer, Kojuro, and was a good reward for his close followers.

His men were also proving themselves to be very capable hunters, filling bag after bag with their catches. The hunting was a very light-hearted endeavor and proved to be so when a duo began to wrestle on the shore. It wasn't too long after the first challenge that both men involved tumbled into the river's wet maw. The two soldiers resurfaced a moment later, laughing in good humor.

Masamune watched this with amusement from his patch of shore, taking pleasure in the antics of his people. A smile spread across his face, all boyish and mischievous. This was what the young lord fought for when he decided to campaign with his father, this feeling that his people managed to preserve even in times of war. He watched them in a small trance, wanting to share their joy but not daring to interrupt their activities lest it shattered the perfection.

The spell on him was severed as a man on horseback raced across the river toward him, scaring the small fish away and distracting the playful soldiers. The new lord noticed a few men trailed behind the messenger as escorts. They wore the black armor of the Date army. Masamune raised his head to the new company, "Huyu, I didn't expect to see you at this '_party_'." The last word was a foreign term he had learned from talking to travelling traders. He tried to assimilate their strange lingo into his everyday life whenever he could. He just loved the sound of it. His playful attitude did not improve Huyu's.

Huyu wasn't one of high rank but he was loyal to Masamune's father in the best ways and a very skilled archer. He had directly served their family for nearly eight years as a teacher and minor strategist. His garments were the sort that someone visiting relatives or going to see a show would wear, blues embroidered with whites and yellows. He looked very out of place, in the wilderness and his expression was of worry. Normally his demeanor was pleasant and helpful, but Huyu's face held a look of internal stress as he spoke, "Your father...my lord, has been taken."

The smile dropped from the young lord's face. "Taken?" he repeated slowly, not quite understanding the words. He had seen his father earlier that day, exchanged a couple words about going on patrol and fishing for the village. Reality hit him suddenly making him sit up abruptly.

Masamune's choked silence spurred the servant on. "He was with the Hatakeyama clan for a nice gathering. He told me to see to the horses before dinner but when I came back to the meeting...everyone was gone. We've been searching since but have found no sign of him, that's when I came to you."

"Hm." Masamune's heart skipped inside his chest, nausea threatening the back of his throat. The Hatakeyama had so far been very peaceful toward the Date clan, not showing any ill will or resentment toward Masamune's family. Masamune himself had visited with the clan's daimyo, Yoshitsugu, on multiple occasions to offer the fellow lord strategic advice when needed. Yet their fellowship now proved to be one-sided. Masamune's mouth went dry. "You will lead me to where you last saw him. I will send for Kojuro when I get there," he concluded.

"Yes sir." Huyu drove his horse toward Masamune's dark stallion as the lord left his day's fresh catch behind.

* * *

Pale lights from the ascending moon illuminated the path to Hatakeyama clan's village. The young lord hardly let his horse break out of its run before he dismounted and ran to the main castle. Small pockets of Date soldiers gathered throughout the front courtyard sporting expressions of befuddlement and deep thought. They appeared just as disgruntled as Huyu had when he relayed the kidnapping.

One of the soldiers stepped toward Masamune, bowing in strict respect. He regarded him with a quick glance, Masamune surmised he was a seasoned warrior about his father's age if not more. "My lord, we have interrogated the servants but they don't know much either. One of the cooks said he overheard something about them going to the river."

"Hm, is that so," Masamune remarked, caught in thought. So it was possible that the kidnappers were unknowingly taking his father toward his own forces by the river. What a stroke of luck. "Huyu, tell Kojuro to wait for me here. I will need a rear guard when I retrieve my father." There wasn't time to second guess himself, he had to assume he was going to succeed. He didn't see or hear anything of the kidnappers on the way here but it was likely that they would have traveled under the cover of the forest rather than the route he had taken.

After a few hushed conversations Masamune managed to organize an impromptu rescue team. He pulled himself up into his saddle as Huyu left for his own mission. "Oi!" the young Date shouted, stalling the archer. "Good luck!" His boyish smile was back, complete with a twist of confidence.

Huyu looked back in shock at the smiling youth. "You too, my lord." With a flick of his reins he prodded his horse into a gallop toward Date lands.

"_'Are you ready guys?'_" Masamune's enthusiasm became infectious to the other men as they mounted their horses. He was answered with hoots and yells of approval. "Then let's get this '_party_' started!"

* * *

Clouds began to bunch together like bundles of gray wool over the light of the lunar star. The moon's rays washed over the land in short tides, alternating between dark shadows and bright patches. A rumble in the distance gave hints to the oncoming storm. Under this, rode a desperate man on horseback, trying to rush to his general's side. The beast under him gasped and sputtered as he reached Hatakeyama's gates.

Twin Date guards were stationed there, dressed in black armor with spears at ready. One of them squinted up at Kojuro's face then put his weapon at ease when he recognized the lieutenant. "The Boss has not returned yet," the guard offered in a low tone.

Kojuro dismounted and handed his horse over to a waiting stable-hand. He felt pressed for time, there was no telling when his lord would be back. "Did you meet much resistance from the village guards?"

"Surprisingly, no. Most of the able-bodied soldiers seem to be gone as well."

This information didn't comfort him at all. Why would Yoshitsugu turn on them so suddenly? Yoshitsugu and Masamune weren't exactly friends but they certainly were not on bad terms with one another. And why did Yoshitsugu see it necessary to bring all his soldiers with him? He mulled over it as he passed through the gates and approached the main castle.

The streets were exceptionally quiet with the village's peasants all tucked away in their own cottages, ignorant to what was going on outside their doors. Kojuro silently hoped that it would stay that way at least until morning. Another rumble of thunder made him quicken his pace. All of this was much too peculiar for Kojuro's taste.

The castle laid nestled in the middle of the village, it's stone foundations rising up into a sturdy wooden structure. More expenses were put into the aesthetics of the building, reverse to the Date compound and way of life. Lord Terumune was very staunch that any money they attracted as a whole be put to the livelihoods of the civilians and the army. To him, daimyo's were meant to protect the people not squander their fortunes away in paints and decorations. Kojuro briefly wondered if his predecessor, Masamune, could be taught to feel the same.

Masamune was very new to the life of a full-fledged lord and Kojuro, as he had for years before, would continue to help and counsel him to do the right thing. He swore his life to this. As long as Masamune needed his lieutenant, Kojuro would be by his side serving as his Right Eye.

"Can I help you, sir?" asked a soft voice. At first he didn't even register that it was another person speaking to him.

Broken from his train of thought Kojuro realized that he had stopped walking and was just standing before the doorway of a peasant house. A startled looking housewife in her sleepwear stared back at him from her door. "Can I help you, sir?" she repeated but slower this time.

"Ngh, sorry to wake you, madam," Kojuro replied apologetically. He internally berated himself for getting distracted so easily.

The woman leaned out of her doorway and looked up and down the street. "Is there something wrong? Your armor isn't familiar to me." She nodded toward his chest plate that was very poorly covered by his jacket. "I heard some talking earlier..."

"We're just passing through, madam. There is no need to be alarmed," he lied. "Please, go back to bed."

"They said our daimyo is gone. Is that true?"

Kojuro let out a small sigh, it seemed their soldiers had spoken amongst themselves a little too loudly. "I know nothing about that, madam. You'll catch a cold if you stay out here too long," he said, trying to convince her to go indoors.

Something sharp prodded the side of Kojuro's neck, drawing a sliver of blood. "Actually, I think we should step in with her." The new person had a very familiar voice but Kojuro couldn't quite place it. He resisted a bruising shove to his side, drawing a very disappointed sound from his wannabe captor. "You never make this easy on me, do you? I suppose it can't be helped."

The peasant woman drew in a quick breath and let out a shrill scream. This distracted the other person's hold on Kojuro, letting him deliver a strong shoulder into the person's jaw. Fact's clicked together in Kojuro's mind as he assessed what he knew of this captor; slight build, uses small-bladed weapons, smelled of trees, and possessed a conceded personality, "Sasuke!" In one fluid motion, he drew his katana and swiped at the spy's head.

The ninja stepped out of range at the cost of some strands from his brownish-red mane. He put his hands up defensively, making small shushing noises. "Not so loud, lady, or I'm going to get caught." He seemed altogether unimpressed with Kojuro's show of reflex and power.

Kojuro's feeling was mutual with the ninja who chose to largely ignore him in favor of the lady. What kind of warrior ignored his opponent? "If you have somethi-!"

The woman slammed her door closed in both their faces, still wailing inside the cottage.

They both hesitated as the slam echoed through the formerly tranquil village. First, one voice called out in indignation then many other scattered voices made their anger known from the neighboring houses.

"This wasn't supposed to happen quite like this," Sasuke said shaking his head sadly. He ducked between two buildings and motioned for Kojuro to follow. He tutted at the samurai's reluctance, "Tcht. Do you want information on your lord or what?"

It struck a nerve that made Kojuro's resistance feel more like treason instead of caution. "If this is a trick-"

"Yeah, yeah. Now come on!" Sasuke's black guise served him well as he blended into a shadow to avoid detection by the approaching soldiers.

Kojuro sheathed his blade before they got there, no need to make the scene look worse than it was. The irony didn't escape him as the troops gathered to him, not even suspicious that there might be a spy around. He kept Sasuke's dark silhouette in the corner of his eye as he spoke to his subordinates. "I startled a peasant, nothing to worry about."

One soldier stepped forward. He was the broader one of the bunch but appeared to have some unknown fear of Kojuro. "Uh, a room has been set aside for you in the castle, sir. Do you wish for someone to show you-"

"I will retire when when Lord Masamune arrives," Kojuro answered shortly. He didn't need to lie, the facts were all he needed to convince the other men to leave him be. "Return to your posts."

"Yes sir!" the group answered in unison.

The broad one raised his voice to some of the peasants that had dared to stumble out of their quarters, "Nothing is amiss, everyone go back to your homes!"

"Who are _you_?" asked a male peasant in obvious objection.

"Your _mother_, now go home!" the big man replied brusquely, practically chasing people away with his loud tones.

The lieutenant let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding as they hurried to fulfill his order. He had little time to gather himself before Sasuke began to move again, heading for the outer walls of the estate. Kojuro did his best to keep up, watching the ninja perform elaborate acrobatics to get to the rooftops. He saw Sasuke pull something out of his tunic and raise it in the air. A 'fwump' sound came from the object as it expanded into some sort of glider that carried the ninja even faster to the outer wall.

By now, Kojuro was nearly out of breath. He passed the last house, his hand close to his sword. He was pleased to hear Sasuke panting as well from their little journey. "Well?"

"Here seems safe enough for me," Sasuke commented, perching on the top of the wall. He placed himself in a very safe position with the trees waiting at his back. He took a deep breath before beginning, "I just happened to be passing through for..._business_ when I caught a glimpse of your lord looking a bit off. Curiosity got the better of me and I had to follow. Here comes the interesting part. As he was headed to who-knows-where an ambush is sprung on him. Bullets start flying every which way, but he managed to break through the chaos since they could only fire once." The ninja paused dramatically for emphasis much to Kojuro's discomfort. "He continued to trail something up to the river where he and his men were faced with archers. Even stranger, they didn't fire. I was very shocked to see Lord Terumune taken captive by the other people. What would they want with a retired lord? Nothing. They called for Lord Masamune's surrender as payment for the return of his father. Only one lord needed to run the land, they said. Your lord was at a stand-still as far as I could tell, he just sat on his horse and didn't budge." Sasuke scratched his nose habitually, "Can't say I stayed long after that. Too dangerous for someone like me."

"What do you gain by telling me this?" Kojuro asked, anger starting to rise in his voice. Spies could not be trusted especially from other provinces.

"Perhaps my business is to relay the interests of my master. He might wish for peace from the new lord. Masamune's death would be most inconvenient for me. Lucky me, the dragon's Right Eye is residing inside the kingdom of his new enemy."

"Luck is for the foolish. I will need proof to believe this story."

The other man sighed heavily as he dug another small item from his clothing and tossed it to Kojuro's feet. "I figured you would be suspicious of this so I did manage to grab a little something for you. Compliments of the gunners."

Kojuro's blood ran cold as his eyes scanned the object. The item was metal, triangular in shape, and took up half of his palm. He couldn't mistake the piece as anything but a bit of the yellow painted crescent from his lord's helmet. "Lord Masamune..."

Sasuke waved his hand dismissively. "As you say." He stood up, his face more serious. "I know you want me to take you to where I last saw him but I want a few things in return."

Kojuro didn't have much of a choice. "Go on."

"First, I will be treated as a guest of honor after this fiasco is dealt with. Even I have to take breaks from running these errands all the time. Second, you have to let me go unscathed when I need to leave. No traps, pursuers, or bounty hunters, alright? Last, I want to be served sake from some of those Oushu women Lord Masamune's got." He nodded matter-of-factly from his perch. "A ninja's work is never done."

Kojuro felt strange warmth begin to crawl up his neck and face. "That's agreeable only if my lord is still alive."

"Come on then, we don't have time to waste."


	2. Chapter 2

**Succession  
**

by fogdragon23**  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own the copyright to Sengoku Basara. It is property of Capcom and Funimation. Please support the official releases of the anime/games/manga/all of it. Thank you.

Author's Note: I apologize ahead of time for the abrupt end on this chapter. I have more written but it will fit better in the next chapter. Enjoy all! ^^**  
**

**Chapter 2**

The acrid taste of metal stained his tongue while he laid face-down in the mud. A hot and heavy pressure held him down, almost drowning him in the earth's muck. He pressed against the opposing mass with his back then numbly realized the mud was caking to the inside of his armor as well, reducing him to futile attempts at sliding out from under this heavy thing. Something vile stung his olfactory senses, making him feel fit to retch.

He opened his eye and the world was as black as pitch. Was he blind? Panicked, he shifted his head and heard scraping that accompanied a weight on his head, it was just his helmet obscuring the light. The chin strap probably just snapped, he would live to see again. Masamune's right leg began to slowly burn with pain and he distantly remembered his horse had fallen on top of him at some point. "'_Shit_!'" he breathed as the pain intensified.

"Boss?" Only his people called him that. He felt a little safer knowing that there wasn't immediate danger. He could feel someone lifting his helmet away from his face. "Boss! You're hurt but help is coming. Hang in there!"

"My father?" Masamune asked with some difficulty, his neck felt so sore. A stifling silence followed that made a vile lump in his throat. So this is what it had come to. Shifting, he managed to position himself on his side, relieving the pressure on his back and leg. What exactly was on top of him? He looked down and choked down a yell.

Glazed eyes met his gaze from the men who had sacrificed themselves to save his life. He realized that it wasn't just mud that he was laying in but also the flesh and blood of his troops. The same ones he had sworn to protect. Cruel sword wounds decorated their backs and limbs in elaborate criss-crosses. Whoever tried to kill him didn't give up easily. A numbness clouded his emotions as he felt shame and guilt settle onto him.

The thud of horse hooves echoed in his head as another soldier came to him. The horse halted by a tree before it's rider vaulted off it. He recognized the shape of these boots and the sweep of the brown coat. "Lord Masamune!" The soldier smelled like burnt metal and leather. "Your leg..."

The lord recognized that voice even in his weakened state, "Kojuro." Steady arms loosened him from the mud and helped him stand despite his injury. He looped an arm over his lieutenant's shoulders while gritting his teeth. "It got a little wild."

"A little?" Kojuro asked, disbelief evident in his tone. "Pardon me for saying so but this was a fool's mission. You were outnumbered and outmaneuvered..."

Masamune accepted being chastised by his second-in-command, the bodies of his soldiers were fresh in his mind. "I couldn't let them take my father." Slowly, memories were pressing themselves into his thoughts. He recalled the ambush, the face-off after that, and all his struggles to help his sire. All that effort and pain only resulted in his failure to save his troops and his father. He reluctantly looked around the drenched battlefield. Luckily or unluckily, there were too many bodies to clearly make out which was Terumune's. "How did you find me?"

"I followed a monkey," he lieutenant answered with laughable seriousness.

"A monkey, _huh_?" Masamune allowed himself a pained grin.

Kojuro called to the soldier that held Masamune's helmet, "Toshi, we need to get Lord Masamune back to safety. Gather some men to make him a litter."

Toshi bowed obligingly. "Yes sir!" Then he took off the carry out his orders.

Masamune made a displeased noise in his throat, "I don't need to be coddled."

"I wouldn't suggest anything of the like. A litter would be the fastest way to move you with your broken leg unless you hope to hop on one foot all the way back."

"Then mend it so that I can ride a horse out of here," Masamune concluded, as if it was the simplest solution. He quietly wondered if his horse was still around, making a feast of the bushes. It certainly wasn't in the pile of men he was pulled from.

Kojuro's stared back at him like he had grown an extra head. "I'm not a healer."

The young lord missed the relevance of Kojuro's occupation and how it related to the current situation. "Tcht! That's no excuse, survival training covers broken bones."

"Arms and fingers!" Kojuro pointed out, exasperated. His expression alone showed he was not okay with what Masamune was trying to coax him into.

"So pretend my leg is a giant arm, '_how's that'_?" Masamune wasn't about to give an inch. His voice was becoming more and more hollow with the pain that burned up his leg. Glumly, he looked down to assess his injury with his own eyes. He hated having to turn his head excessively in order to see his wound with his only eye. Blood was not a welcome sight to him as it meant that the bone in his lower leg probably broke the skin yet he dared not remove his armor to check. Wounds didn't generally bother him as long as they were on other people. Even when he suffered the loss of his right eye, he wasn't able to look into his own reflection until months later.

The lord turned his attention to Kojuro who was assessing his options. The creases in his forehead deepened in concentration before he answered with a very stern, "No. I do not feel skilled enough to set it correctly and I fear you have more than one break."

Masamune fought back another wave of pain. Why was it that wounds never hurt as bad until one looked at them? "I can confirm it for you," he hissed mildly. They started to move toward the gathering of men a ways down the battlefield. He used Kojuro as a sort of crutch for his right leg, clenching his teeth with each measured step.

Toshi had found a sizable camp blanket in a pack of a deceased enemy. He stretched the fabric out on the ground and directed the other men to stand along the sides of the material. Kojuro took great care in making sure his lord wasn't harmed anymore than necessary as he placed him down on the blanket. "We will head back to the Hatakeyama estate."

"Yes sir!" said the troops in unity. They picked up the sides of the blanket after a clear countdown to keep themselves from accidentally dropping their lord on the ground. It didn't take them long to get into a steady pace.

"So tell me about this monkey of yours," Masamune couldn't see Kojuro without bending his neck back uncomfortably but he knew he was close enough to hear.

"There's not much to tell," Kojuro answered a little too quickly. He was the time of man to weigh his words carefully before speaking them. Something was evidently on the tactician's mind.

Naturally, the younger man kept fishing for more information. "It must have been a pretty persuasive monkey to catch your attention."

A predicted pause followed, "He had information on your whereabouts. I couldn't let the opportunity slip by."

Masamune shifted his shoulders to ease some of the tension in his back. "Oh so it cost you something, care to share?" It didn't bother him at all that the other soldiers could do nothing else but listen in, it wasn't his pride on the line. Besides, opportunities to tease the tactician were becoming more and more rare ever since Masamune's ascendancy to daimyo.

"The usual things; not to kill him, give him a place to rest, serve him sake."

"Hm, I'll join him in that," Masamune agreed. He could almost feel the mentioned liquid at the back of his throat. No doubt the healer would prescribe him it anyway. "Where did that monkey get to?"

"I'm not sure," Kojuro confessed. "He lead me to you then disappeared. I can only guess he's causing more trouble elsewhere. I'm sure he'll be around, he said he had a message for you from his master."

"Oh?" The daimyo could only think of one person who had to skills to string along his tactician so easily. "Shingen is really good at sticking his nose where it doesn't belong," he said in a sigh of good humor. In some ways, he idolized the old man but his influence had a habit of appearing when it was most irritating. "Did his messenger appear to know anything of Yoshitsugu's plan?"

"None. In fact, I'm certain that they were as surprised as we were."

"They," he repeated slowly. "Someone was with the monkey?"

"Yes and no. They tried very hard to keep out of sight but I suspect there were four other people following us. The others also left with him so either they are part of Shingen's forces or the messenger was being tailed."

Masamune stayed quiet for the rest of the trip while he tried to piece the events together. He needed to speak with this monkey man at length in order to be sure that his leader had no part in plotting the assassination of his father. The need for sake was growing more and more, not only as a drink but also to relieve his stress headache.

* * *

As a soldier the sight of battle injuries did not disturb Kojuro. He'd seen his fair share of wounds caused from weapons, fallen rocks, and drunken brawls. He prided himself on staying controlled and disciplined even in battles that seemed impossible to overcome. It shouldn't have bothered him when he removed the armor from his lord's leg, yet he still flinched when he undid the ties on the shin guards. From that moment on, he refused to look anywhere besides Masamune's face. That was when he noticed Masamune was using the same tactic, his blue eye staying locked with Kojuro's form. His lord had been amazingly compliant ever since they brought him back to the mansion, only giving small groans when the pain flared. "Is it fixable?" Kojuro asked the healer, still unable to look at the problem.

The healer was an elderly woman that was native to the area. Her hut was toward the outskirts of the village but she answered almost immediately when a distressed soldier knocked on her door, requesting her help to aid the lord. A great weight was lifted from Kojuro's shoulders when she came in and immediately started barking orders. She sat on Kojuro's right, nearest to the leg. "I'll have you know that I'm not going to sugar-coat this, he may lose his leg if we don't do this just right. I need you to obey everything I say from now on in order to save it, you understand?"

Kojuro nodded glumly.

"Good. I need you to hold him down so that he doesn't thrash around and hurt himself." Kojuro leaned forward, placing his hands firmly on the lord's upper arms. "You and you," the healer directed some others in the room, "secure his legs. Be careful with this one, I don't need him kicking me in the face."

Masamune didn't resist much when Kojuro leaned over him to pin his arms. "Where's my sake? I want to be drunk for this."

"This needs to be treated now before you risk anymore infection. We can't afford to wait," the healer snapped as if she were talking to her own kid.

To Kojuro's amazement, Masamune didn't seem to take any offense to this. "Whatever, old hag, just get this over with." His icy gaze studied Kojuro's position. "Not like that, I'm going to give you a black eye this way," Masamune warned him hoarsely.

The lieutenant knew this to be true, the position was much too awkward for what he needed to do, but he couldn't figure out a safe way to fix it. "Are you this soft with your women too?" Masamune complained loudly. "At least act like you're really going to hold me down! I'm a dangerous man, now treat me like one!"

Kojuro did as directed with embarrassment reddening his face. He moved to straddle the juncture between Masamune's chest and his stomach. He was heavier than the other man so he could easily contain him with his full weight when needed. The arms were a different matter, he had no doubt in his mind that he would be leaving with a black eye if he made a mistake. He would have to exert a lot of strength if he hoped to keep the swordsman down by holding his arms to his sides. The easiest solution was to hold his wrists together. His gloved hands caught the other man's wrists and he pinned them above Masamune's head.

"Tcht. Was that so hard?" Masamune mocked with a sly grin.

"This isn't dignified for either of us," Kojuro replied to convey how awkward this felt. In all his years that he knew Masamune, he had never been called upon to restrain him in such a way.

"Speak for yourself," Masamune responded coolly.

A choked sound came from Kojuro's throat as he stared back at the other in open shock. His lord was _enjoying_ this! He could see the strained lines on the youth's face that suggested pain but there was also a great amount of joy in the lord's face. He was using this as another excuse to mock him! "This is not the time to be acting childish," he scolded lightly, not wanting to push the limits of his rank.

Masamune answered with a whistle. "I didn't know my Right Eye could be offended this easily." He was really having a time of this and it made Kojuro cringe inwardly.

Just as easily as the joy had appeared, it was gone. Kojuro felt the other man's chest tighten up under him followed by an inhuman scream. He was vaguely aware that the healer was talking to the others, probably giving them orders, but he couldn't hear her over the man under him. It felt like an eternity before the scream lowered to a wail. Masamune was writhing against him like a wild animal as he tried to free himself in any way possible. Even with Kojuro's vice-like grip, his lord managed to free one of his wrists and grab at the front of his leather coat, crinkling the fabric in a steel hold. Kojuro tried to recover from his error but sure enough the fist on his coat landed a hit square on his jaw, making him crumple under the impact.

* * *

Sasuke smiled to himself as he was allowed an audience with Lord Masamune. A light blush covered his cheeks from the sake he had received earlier. He had been drowning in sake and women, just as he requested, practically ever since he entered Oshu gates, so it had to be excused when he first laid eyes on the lieutenant's face and began laughing uncontrollably. "Pardon me, but you two make quite the pair," he managed between hoots of humor.

Masamune was only a little worse for wear, only a few bruises visible under his casual wear. The lord had a blanket covering his lower half so Sasuke could only guess at what kind of damage lay under it. His outburst had all been for the state of Kojuro's face. The right side of his face was completely untouched and just as imposing as it had been days ago when he lead him through the forest. Yet the left side of his face was decorated with many bruises like he had been in some sort of drunken brawl. Sasuke noted the ugly purple and yellow swells with gaiety.

He stifled his chuckles with a hand, trying to sober up for their formal meeting. He kneeled, keeping his smile. "I'm Sarutobi Sasuke, relaying a message of peace from Takeda Shingen, sir."

"Yes, I was told about this," Masamune started, his voice sounded lower than his usual good-mannered tone. The ninja surmised he was either losing his voice or was ill-humored at present. "What does your master hope to accomplish with this truce? Shingen is not well known for being magnanimous."

"Truth be told, the old man is finally feeling his age," Sasuke explained. Despite the haze of sake, he began to feel the pressure of being a monkey trapped in a dragon's den. He needed to stay cautious if he was to get back out of here without a scratch. "He has been training his heir when he can spare it, but lately he doesn't have a lot of time to spare."

"So the tiger has chosen a cub to take his place." Sasuke noticed a glance exchanged between the two other men. If they were unsettled, it was all in his favor. "Tell me about that," Masamune prodded.

"Not much to tell really...he's strong, loyal, and courageous. A little new to the battlefield but he'll grow into it in no time." Though they barely exchanged words back home, he couldn't help feeling a fondness for the young warrior. If all the new warriors were like him, there might be hope in the future of Kai.

The young daimyo gestured toward a lonely sake bottle by his side, "I see. I know you've been having your fair share of sake lately but I was hoping you'd share a drink with me."

"Of course," Sasuke replied. He had some doubts on if the sake was really just sake or something more sinister but declining the offer would have reflected on his master's will. He approached the lord's side, feeling like needles were being bored into his skin by the second-in-command's intense gaze. "I'm afraid I'm not a pretty woman," he joked as he poured the sake into their respective cups. He passed the first to Masamune then Kojuro, saving the last for himself.

"After my last battle, I don't think I care," Masamune joked back. His tone was unchanged so it was safe for Sasuke to assume the lord's voice was just hoarse.

"You look better than what the rumors were claiming. The townsfolk were whispering that you lost your leg," the ninja added pointedly. "Unless you have a fake one under there, I'm counting two."

Masamune chuckled. "I can assure you, there are two and they are both still attached to me. Damned, if I don't wish that woman took my leg, for all the pain it's causing me."

The ninja was cautious to only drink after seeing Masamune take a full swig with no ill effects.

"It has come to my attention that you were not alone on the night of my father's death," Masamune swiftly changed topics.

Thoughtfully, Sasuke paused. He doubted the lord had noticed this on his own and very carefully kept himself from glancing at Kojuro through the corner of his eye. "Well, you see, I have taken a few other uh, confidants under my wing by orders of my master. They aren't exactly experienced yet in the ways of staying stealthy." That and he was being followed but why share details with people who had not yet agreed to be allies?

"Seems the monkey has his own predecessors to worry about," Masamune observed, holding out his cup for Sasuke to pour more. "No doubt you are a good teacher."

Sasuke shrugged away his embarrassment as he filled the next cup. "Well, they aren't exactly battle-ready but I try to teach them what I can." He was fond of his little students. They made him feel like he was really needed and not just some pawn to be ordered about. "But that's enough about my boring life."

"Sticking to business, I like that," Masamune smiled, a reddish hue grew across his cheeks. "You can tell your master that I will consider this mesh of alliances he is proposing. I would also like to meet his tiger cub. He sounds _wild_."

"I will relay your wishes to him right away," the spy agreed. "Provided you keep your end of the bargain," he motioned toward Kojuro with a hand.

"More bargains?" Masamune questioned, turning his attention to the third man. "Did I forget to honor a request?"

Kojuro's gaze shifted between them. "I think he means us letting him go."

"Tcht! What use to me is a wounded messenger? You have my protection across Oshu, what more do you want?" Masamune's eyes hardened into a glare toward the ninja.

"Verbal contracts don't hold well against the blades of soldiers," Sasuke reminded the Dragon of Oshu. Also he was more willing to trust the warlord's words if he had a some sort of physical truth.

Masamune left out an impatient sigh. "Fine. Kojuro, make sure he's given a token for his journey. I think I've had enough of this meeting for the day."

"Yes, Lord Masamune."


End file.
